New runway at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) becomes operational

BENGALURU: Friday evening marked a milestone moment for the

Kempegowda International Airport

(KIA) in Bengaluru with the first flight taking off from the New South Parallel Runway (NSPR) at 4:37 pm. The first flight to take off from the new runway was Indigo flight 6E 466 from Bengaluru to Hyderabad which took off from the second runway at 4:37 pm, on Friday.

After it received the necessary regulatory nod from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, the New South Parallel Runway (NSPR) officially became operational, on Friday evening.

With the operationalization of the new runway, the Bengaluru airport has become the first in the country to operate independent parallel runways, enabling aircraft to land and take off simultaneously on both runways.

Initially, the second runway will begin operations with limited landings and take-offs before gradually scaling up flight operations.

Unlike the existing runway, the new runway is equipped CAT III B technology, enabling pilots to land flights in extremely low visibility conditions (upto 50 metres). However, initially, the new runway will operate with CAT I certification and will progressively evolve to CAT III B, as operations stabilize.

"It is a historic day for us at BLR Airport as we commenced operations on the new runway," said Hari Marar, managing director and CEO of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), operator of the BLR Airport. “Our first runway opened 11 years ago, and became a linchpin for the region's economic development during the last decade. With the aviation industry in India set for exponential growth, two operational runways will provide the thrust required to cater to this demand and further bolster growth of Karnataka and India. The opening of this key infrastructure is the outcome of phenomenal collaboration amongst various stakeholders and implementation of processes and procedures developed through advanced simulations and assessments. The new Runway will further bolster our vision to transform BLR Airport into the new gateway to India," he added.

The new runway will be coded RWY 09R/27L, while the existing runway will be renamed RWY 09L/27R (from RWY 09/27).

The new runway is equipped with with dual parallel taxiways, cross-field taxiways and rapid exit taxiways. The new runway is also equipped with Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) station , state-of-the-art Crash Fire Tenders (CFTs) for fire-related emergencies. The existing firefighting squad has also been strengthened by recruiting over 100 firefighters from across Karnataka and fire engineers from the National Fire Safety College, Nagpur.

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